Shadowed
by horsegurl16
Summary: Emily and Hermione Granger were never what you'd call close. Half the time, they pretended each other didn't even exist. But Emily can't help feeling jealous when her sister is accepted into Hogwarts. Things get even worse when Emily is accepted as well a year later. Her teachers expect her to be like Hermione, but books just aren't for her. Can she cope with living in the shadows?
1. Introduction

**AN: My first chapter of my first FanFiction! Tell me how you like it and PLEASE review! More reviews means faster updates!**

**Disclaimer: horsegurl16 does not own Harry Potter**

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Hermione was ignoring me again. I could just sense it. I looked up and there she was, sitting in the corner, totally engrossed in her textbook. I sighed inwardly. Why did she like reading so much? It was hard to believe that she was my sister. I, for one, would prefer a video game to a dusty old book any day. Naturally, I'd been a little jealous when Hermione had gotten her letter from Hogwarts. I mean, she was so down-to-earth! Of all the people to have magic powers! I was always the adventurous one, the one willing to take risks. If either of us was a witch, it would only make sense that it would be me. When that lady came to give my sister the news, I had asked about _my_ letter. Surely I was getting one too? But she just smiled mysteriously in reply, saying "We'll see." I've learnt not to trust adults when they say that, seeing that 99% of the time, what they _actually _mean is "No". But apparently this case belonged to that 1%.

A year later, that same lady came to the door, full of excitement. I was confused at first. Had Hermione gotten in trouble? The very thought of my goody-goody sister doing something against the rules was laughable. As she walked in, I listened eagerly, wanting to know why she was back. After a quick exchange with my parents, she headed over to where Hermione and I were seated on the other side of the room. Not that my sister and I were acknowledging each others' existence or anything. She just happened to be reading on the same sofa I was playing video games on.

As the lady approached us, Hermione carefully marked her place in the novel she was reading, set it daintily down on the arm of the sofa and waited to hear what the lady – Professor McGonagall, I think it was – had to say. But instead of walking up to Hermione, she headed towards me instead. I shot my sister a confused look, but she was too stunned to even notice. Slowly, she picked up her book and resumed reading.

"Are you Emily Granger?" asked Professor McGonagall in a strict, yet kind voice.

"Yes ma'am," I replied, deciding it was best to be polite. I had no idea what kind of influence this woman may have on my future, and I wanted it to be a good one. "It's Professor McGonagall, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. There is no need to call me 'ma'am' though. Professor will do. That's what you'll be calling me at Hogwarts, so I suppose you'd better get used to it."

Hogwarts! I was going after all! "OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH!" I squealed.

Professor McGonagall seemed to struggle for a moment before her features relaxed into a smile. "You're quite welcome," she replied with a meaningful look.

I realized that I'd been squealing uncontrollably in front of a future teacher, and I stopped abruptly. "Oh… sorry ma'a – er – Professor"

"Now I expect you'll be wanting your letter?" asked Professor McGonagall dryly.

"Yes, please." I said hastily, feeling like an idiot. I glanced at the folded piece of parchment she handed me. It had my name scrawled on it in big green letters. I knew of course that we had to go to this special wizarding street – Diagonal Alley, wasn't it? No, wait – it was _Diagon _Alley. Anyway, I remembered Hermione being told to go there last year. And I also knew to go to platform 9¾ – straight through the brick wall between platforms 9 and 10. So in a way, I had an advantage over Hermione – I wouldn't have to stand there looking like a fool while a police officer muttered about kids wasting his precious time with ridiculous made-up platforms and schools. Hermione, who had apparently been eavesdropping on our conversation, seemed to have come to the same conclusion as me. She was slowly turning a bright shade of pink as she tried to hide her face behind her book.

"Wait – Hermione and I are muggle-born!" I cried.

"Yes, you are," said Professor McGonagall, obviously unsure of where this was going.

"I mean – what are the chances? Both of us, witches! It just isn't probable!" I watched McGonagall closely, waiting for an answer. Her eyes widened briefly in understanding, but melted quickly into shock. Then came something more subtle – concern, or perhaps wistfulness. When she finally spoke, it was in a quiet, soft voice.

"Yes – you two are a rather special case," she whispered. "Two muggle-born sisters – yes, you are quite right." She seemed to shake herself off suddenly. She continued in a brisker tone. "But however interesting you two may be, now simply isn't the time to discuss it. Plenty of time for that once you get to school." Professor McGonagall began to turn away, but spun back around abruptly. " I assume you _are _accepting my invitation?" she added sarcastically, almost as an afterthought.

I allowed my face to break into a wide grin. "Of course!"

"Well then, I expect you know what to do? Platform 9¾, 11 o'clock sharp, the usual?"

I nodded yes energetically. Professor McGonagall frowned, but I was too delighted to care.

"I guess I'd better be on my way then. Good bye, Miss Granger. Both of you," she added with a smile and a nod towards Hermione. Hermione! I'd forgotten she was even in the room! Oh well. It's not like I even cared in the first place. I was much too excited as McGonagall stepped out the door into the night. I was going to Hogwarts at last!


	2. Diagon Alley

**AN: 123! As in 1 review, 2 favs, and 3 follows! Lets see how far we can get! Just remember RFF – _R_eview, _F_av, and _F_ollow!**

**Disclaimer: horsegurl16 does not own Harry Potter!**

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As soon as we reached Diagon Alley, Hermione took off to find her friends. I was left to browse shop windows with Mum and Dad. My mother kept telling me that I should go with my sister, but I insisted on staying with them. I wanted to enjoy this Hermione-free moment while it lasted. I knew if I tagged along with her, I would be completely ignored, as usual, yet still forced to drag along with them. Besides, I would meet her friends on the train. Maybe even while Hermione wasn't there. I smiled at the thought. My sister was always there – an ever-present, annoying presence. It was nice to catch a few moments alone. It took a while, but my mom finally gave in.

"Fine, but stay close to me," she warned.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm eleven, Mum. Not two."

"Sweetie, I know you're eleven. But safety comes first."

Sighing, I headed towards a store called Flourish and Blotts. I recalled that Hermione had gone there last year to get her school books. Hermione loved that store, but I simply couldn't see what the big deal was about. I guess it's just Hermione being her usual bookworm self. Unfortunately, there weren't any video game stores in Diagon Alley. Oh well. As I walked into the bookstore, I wrinkled my nose. The whole place smelled like it needed a good deep cleaning. It had that old book scent – the one you get when you crack open a book that hasn't been opened for years. Hermione absolutely adored it – yet another aspect of my sister I will never understand. I found my books as quickly as possible and paid for them in wizard money. My parents had given me some coins they had left over from last year's trip to Diagon Alley, but next year I would have to go to Gringotts, the wizard bank, to get more. As I turned to leave the shop, I froze. Hermione and her friends – I couldn't remember their names – walked into the shop. One of them, a redhead with freckles, seemed to have the same opinion about bookstores that I did. He was complaining loudly as the trio walked into the store. The shop owner glared ferociously at him.

"Ron, shut up!" said Hermione angrily. "It's not _my_ fault you two don't read.

Just as I was about to bolt back into the shelves, my mom spotted Hermione.

"Hermione! There you are!" she said with a smile.

My sister spun around and her eyes grew wide. She tried to drag her friends deeper into the store, but it was too late. Ron, confused by Hermione's sudden change in attitude, followed her gaze to where my parents and I were standing.

"Harry, look! It's Mr. and Mrs. Granger!" he yelled, shaking his friend's arm. The store manager shot him another nasty look. I really couldn't blame him.

"Ron, _honestly_!" exclaimed Hermione. She turned to our parents. "Hi Mum, hi Dad," she muttered sheepishly. No sign she even saw me standing there. Not that this was anything new.

My mother simply smiled. "Hello dear. Having a good time?

"Um… sure, I guess," said Hermione uncertainly.

I smiled. This conversation was getting better by the second.

"How about you two?" she asked, this time addressing Ron and Harry.

"Oh, er – we're fine, right Harry?" stuttered Ron.

"Yep. Everything is just fine," said Harry nervously.

My mom raised her eyebrows, but otherwise did not mention their behavior. "Well anyway, have fun."

"Bye, Mum!"said Hermione hastily.

"Wait – don't you want to take Emily with you?" said Mum, seizing her chance.

I groaned. "Mum, I –"

Harry and Ron looked at each other and shrugged, despite Hermione's frantic head shaking from behind our mother. "Why not?" said Harry, looking straight at Hermione. When anger clouded her face, he did this weird thing with his mouth that was halfway between a smirk and a smile. As he reached up to brush his hair out of his face, I saw a zigzagging cut on his forehead. I frowned. I knew that cut was important for some reason, but I couldn't think why. Oh well. I'd probably figure it out later. When Harry saw me looking, he quickly brushed his bangs back into position. Weird. Why would he want to hide a stinking _scar_?

Before I could protest further, my mother was pushing me gently out the door. Grumbling, I hurried to catch up with Hermione.

"– don't know why they were in there, she said they would be going there last," Hermione was saying. "We can go back to Flourish and Blotts after – _yes_ Ron, we _have_ to go back! We haven't got our schoolbooks yet!

"C'mon, why can't we just go to Quality Quidditch Supplies?" demanded Ron. "I want to go look at brooms!"

"Because we don't need those for school! Besides, are you actually planning on _buying _anything there?"

"Well – no," admitted Ron. "But it's more interesting than a bookstore!"

Hermione sighed. "Forget about Quidditch already! We all need new robes for this year, and Emma might as well get hers while we're at it. Mum will be furious if she finds out we have robes and she hasn't."

Wow. I can just _feel_ the love. But I followed them into Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions anyway. Typically, Hermione made sure I was last. Once my turn finally came around, I stepped up onto a stool that a lady, presumably Madame Malkin, had placed in the middle of the shop. Madame began measuring every little aspect of my body with a measuring tape. After a while, she went and selected a robe for me. But apparently it _still_ didn't fit, because then she started pinning up and letting down the different sections of the robe. After what felt like an hour, she stepped back.

"Voila!" she exclaimed with a flourish.

I thanked her politely and headed out the door to search for Hermione and her friends. I spotted them almost instantly. They were in front of an ice cream parlor, near the front of the line. I ran up to my sister.

"Getting ice cream without me, are we now?"I said with a smirk.

"Go away, Emily," she said irritably.

"You know Mum and Dad only let us get ice cream occasionally, and then we both get some!" I whined.

"So? Mum and Dad aren't here now, are they? Nothing to stop me."

"I'm here. And I'll tell Mum and Dad about this if I don't get any."

"You wouldn't!" she said, glaring at me. I almost laughed. She knew all too well that I would.

I simply smiled in return.

Hermione seemed to struggle for a Moment, then let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll get you ice cream. But don't get used to this.

I only got a plain vanilla cone, and it was the smallest size they had, but I had beaten my sister to get it. That made it one hundred times better. There was also the fact that both of my parents are dentists. Even a small scoop of vanilla ice cream is a treat.

After we had gotten all of our school things, Hermione finally consented to let Ron go to Quality Quidditch Supplies. It actually wasn't all that bad. Better that Flourish and Blotts, at any rate. We looked at the displays of broomsticks and browsed the shelves of equipment. That's where my parents found us an hour later.

As Hermione said goodbye to Ron and Harry, I thought about the day. I'd say it wasn't a complete waste of time. Winning "The Great Ice Cream Argument", as I had come to call it, definitely made up for any bad things that had happened. But I'd had enough magic for one day. My video games were calling me.


	3. The Train

**AN: Thank you for reading up to this point! I have decided what House Emily will be in. I will be having additional votes about this story on my page, so don't forget to vote! (I will tell you when there is one) There's one right now! But anyway, REVIEW PLEASE! I sorta need constructive criticism right now... and reviews provide this! (plus, they make me happy :)) I hate to beg, but I need an idea of how I'm doing. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: horsegurl16 does not own Harry Potter**

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There is no worse feeling than getting in the car and realizing you can't do anything because you have no internet connection. Unless, of course, you're Hermione. I looked over at the seat next to me, and sure enough, she had her nose in a book. I strained to take a peek at the cover. It said _The Standard Book of Spells – Grade 2_. She was reading a _textbook_? Only Hermione…

I was getting desperate for entertainment, and I wasn't _about_ to read a book. That was last resort. I remembered my video game at home, and started trying to figure out how to beat my current level. I'd been stuck on it for ages, and now was the perfect time to think it through. I had spent so much time on it that I had committed it to memory. As the car bumped along the road, I was lost in thoughts of strategy and technique.

By the time we got to King's Cross station, it was already 10:55. Hermione and I barely had time to grab our trunks and tell Mum and Dad goodbye before rushing off to the platform. Once we were on the train, Hermione shot off towards the back of the train, presumably to find her friends. I turned to follow her, but hesitated. As much as I liked her friends, I knew that as long as Hermione was there, they wouldn't really want to talk to me. I headed towards the other end of the train to find an empty compartment. After passing through a few cars full of older students, who gawked at me like they had never seen a first year before, I found a compartment that was empty except for one redheaded girl. I was pretty sure she was a first year, so I sat down across from her. The girl looked up, startled.

"Oh – hello," she said with a tiny smile. She relaxed a little as she saw that I was a first year too. She looked familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen her before.

I realized I had been staring, so I shook myself and kept the conversation going. "Hi. I'm Emily."

"Ginny," she replied, looking up so that light fell across her nose, highlighting her freckles. My eyes grew wide. Red hair, freckles – she was just like Ron! No wonder she had looked familiar!

"Are you by any chance related to Ron Weasley?" I asked her. Weasley _was _his last name, right?

Her eye widened. "How do you know my brother?"

"Ron? He's my sister's friend." I kind of assumed I had the last name right, seeing that Ginny had understood what I had said.

She thought for a moment. "So your sister must be… Hermione?" she asked.

I nodded disinterestedly. She _was_ my sister, if you think in terms of family trees. But in terms likeness, we scored a zero.

If Ginny noticed my uncaring demeanor, she didn't let on about it. Instead, she just stared out the window, apparently lost in thought.

Just then, Hermione burst through the compartment door, gasping for breath. _Well speak of the devil…_

"Have you seen Ron or Harry?" she asked Ginny. I knew I wasn't included in this conversation, so I kept quiet. My sister's eyes were focusing intensely on Ginny, actively avoiding mine.

"No," came Ginny's confused answer. "But they were both at the station; I saw them just before I crossed the barrier. I thought they were with you."

"Well, they're not. I just don't see where they could be – I've searched the whole train! Unless they didn't get on, but they wouldn't dare…" Her voice trailed off. "They _didn't_," she whispered, her eyes growing wide. "They _can't_!"

"Um… Hermione? They just did, apparently. Where else could they be?"

"But if they missed the train, they can't get to Hogwarts! And as much as they hate homework, I _know_ they don't want that. Especially Harry. It's either Hogwarts or the Dursleys for him, and that's not exactly a hard decision." My sister was now pacing back and forth along the length of the compartment. "And Ron – well, I don't know about Ron. But I know his parents would be absolutely _furious_ with him."

"You've got that right," muttered Ginny under her breath.

"_Exactly!_ There's no reason either one of them should _want_ to miss the train. So there must have been something else stopping them." Hermione stopped short in the middle of the compartment, hands on hips. "The question is, _what_?"

"I suppose we'll find out when we get there?" whispered Ginny weakly as she recoiled under Hermione's fierce stare.

My sister realized what she was doing and her gaze softened. "Sorry about that," she said apologetically. "But I just don't get it…"

"Stop trying. I've _lived _with Ron my whole life and _I_ don't understand him!"

Hermione laughed. "Well, I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts then."

As Ginny and Hermione chatted, I stared out the window, uninterested in their conversation. But that didn't stop me for listening to every word. As soon as my sister had left the compartment, I turned to Ginny. "Is your brother usually like that?"

Ginny ignored my question. "Why don't you talk to your sister? I mean, when she was in the room it was suddenly like you didn't exist at all."

"Oh – no reason," I said, suddenly feeling a strange mix of emotions, none of which I could identify. "We just aren't very close, that's all." Mercifully, Ginny seemed to be content to let the matter drop. I honestly didn't feel like talking about my relationship with my sister at the moment.

Neither of us really felt like talking, so we sat in silence for the rest of the ride. When a lady with a food cart walked in, I stood up eagerly, but when I saw that the trolley was filled with a strange assortment of sweets, I froze. Mum and Dad would never let me buy anything off of that cart. Never in a million years would they let me spend money on sweets, especially since it had only been a week since I'd eaten ice cream in Diagon Alley. But Mum and Dad weren't here. Besides, Hermione had probably gotten something too, and I needed _something_ to spend my money on. My parents had given Hermione and I each some money, but I doubted there would be anything to buy at Hogwarts. So I went ahead and bought a sugar quill. Pure sugar – I'd be bouncing off the walls. Yet another reason I wasn't supposed to have sugar. But at school, I would have free reign. I had a feeling I was going to like Hogwarts.


	4. The Sorting

**AN: Honestly, you people have manners that are ****_too_**** good! If you have nothing nice to say, ****_say it anyway!_**** No flames please, but constructive criticism is nice. **

**Also: I'd like to thank BlueCoke Owl. This story would ****_never_**** get edited without you!**

**But enough chitchat! On to the story!**

**Disclaimer: horsegurl16 does not own Harry Potter**

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It took a long time to get to Hogwarts. I was sure that I'd been on that train for a month, but Ginny insisted that it had only been a few hours. So maybe a month was pushing it. So what? Three hours without video games was exactly the same thing as a month. Ginny just didn't have the right perspective on things. As nice as she was, Ron's sister didn't know how to have fun.

As we got off the train, I suddenly caught sight of the biggest man I had ever seen.

"Firs' years this way! Firs' years!" he was calling. Since no one seemed alarmed – aside from the first years, of course – I assumed this was supposed to happen. I followed Ginny as she weaved through the crowd towards the voice. She paused so I could catch up, then whispered in my ear.

"That's Hagrid," she hissed, pulling me forward. The man – Hagrid – was standing beside a huge lake. There were little boats docked all along the shore. Ginny climbed into the nearest one, and motioned for me to do the same. As I pulled myself in beside her, I noticed all the other children doing it too. Everyone was paired up except Hagrid. He took a whole boat to himself.

"Right then. Off we go," he announced. The boats suddenly glided forward by themselves. To my surprise, the ride was as smooth as glass, despite the slightly choppy water. We turned around a bend, and that's when we saw Hogwarts. As we approached the castle (It left Ginny speechless, but it looked like a castle from one of my video games, so I wasn't exactly surprised), Hagrid began to tell us what to expect there.

"You'll be sorted, of course," he was saying. "There are four houses. Gryffindor for the brave, Hufflepuff for the hardworking, Ravenclaw for the intelligent, and Slytherin for the cunning." I couldn't help but notice the hint of distaste in his voice when he said "Slytherin". I had heard things about the houses, of course, from Hermione, but never anything about Slytherin. Come to think of it, those descriptions seemed a bit off. Hermione was 100% Ravenclaw, but she was in Gryffindor. It made no sense. I wondered where I was headed… none of them seemed right. I was _definitely _not Hufflepuff. I avoided work at all costs. But Ravenclaw was a negative as well. Me? Smart? Yeah right… I knew I wouldn't get into Gryffindor, so that meant… Slytherin. I mentally face-palmed. I hadn't heard much about Slytherin, but what little I knew was all bad. I'd heard that Slytherin had turned out more dark witches and wizards than any other house. I really didn't want to go to Slytherin, but if that was where I belonged, I probably didn't have a choice.

"Emma! Emma? Are you still there?" Ginny was calling. I shook myself and realized that we had reached the other side of the lake, the one closer to Hogwarts. I climbed out of the boat and followed Hagrid and the others up to the castle. When we reached the gates and entered, I looked around. Though it looked like a video game castle from the outside, it looked more medieval on the inside. I was a bit disconcerted to suddenly find myself in the Renaissance era, with suits of armor to boot. However, I regained my composure as we walked into a large room. Hermione had called it "The Great Hall". We were herded to the front of the room, where we were told to wait. An ancient man with a long, white beard, stood up. He was front and center, and all of the students fell silent when he rose. The man – who I assumed was the headmaster – smiled warmly.

"Welcome, _welcome_, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" he said. He talked quietly, yet we could all hear him perfectly. "I am sure you will all have a wonderful term. Now, let us begin the Sorting!"

As people were sorted, I sort of zoned off. They seemed to be calling us in alphabetical order to put on the hat, which was resting on a stool. As "Creevy, Collin" was put into Gryffindor, I began to wonder what house I would be in. Gryffindor didn't seem _too_ bad, although I was pretty sure Slytherin was just made for me. Not that I _wanted_ to go there, it's just that I fit the description for Slytherin. Suddenly, I was called out of my thoughts by a sharp voice.

"Granger, Emily"

I slowly got up and walked to the stool in a trance, ready to get Sorted.

It was dark inside the hat. It nearly swallowed my whole head. I was just starting to think that they could have made the hat a bit smaller when I heard a voice inside of my head.

"Well considering I was made for Godric Gryffindor, who was an adult, it really is not that surprising. When he gave me to the school, he didn't really think of shrinking me. But that's not really important. I can still get my job done, unless, of course, certain first years _won't stop bugging me with their pointless questions!_"

I gaped under the hat, grateful that no one could see my face. Was the Sorting hat _talking_!?

"Yes, I'm talking. But we need to get down to business. Where to put you… Ahh yes, you're a tricky one. So many secrets, so many who won't tell. If only you knew. Slytherin would fit, yes, but Gryffindor would be the better choice. Your sister is in Gryffindor, but you would never decide based on that, no, you wouldn't. If only you could make amends."

I was very confused, but I didn't let on. I just sat there, wanting to get this ordeal over with.

"Ah, yes, of course. I've been rambling on, haven't I? Well, I don't like to be rushed, it makes my decisions _much_ less accurate. But it that case, I better say…"

In a much louder voice, that apparently went out to the whole hall, the hat burst out, "Gryffindor!"


	5. Hermione's Sister

**AN: Thank you all once again! I notice I only got 1 review for my last chapter… :(**** Just be honest! Did you like my story or not? All I want is feedback, good OR bad… And please let me know if I have anyone do something that is completely out of character for that person. Oh, and I'm very sorry this update took so long. Summer vacation has been even busier than school, believe it or not. I'll try to be better about updating sooner.**

**Also: Please note that dialogue and such will be different from that in the actual books. Because I am adding a new character, she may affect the actions of others.**

**I changed iPod to Walkman, as was suggested. For those of you who don't know what a Walkman is, it's like an old iPod.**

**Disclaimer: horsegurl16 does not own**

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The Gryffindor common room was painted scarlet and gold. I had never really cared much for the color red, but there was nothing I could do about it. I was ready to call it a night, but as I stepped through the portrait hole, for a moment, I thought something had exploded. The painting closed behind me, and I realized that the Gryffindors were throwing a party. From what I could gather, Ron and Harry had _flown_ to school in a flying car. Not only had they crashed the car into a rather violent tree called the Whomping Willow (which happened to hit back), but they had lived to tell the tale. They hadn't even been expelled! I was rather excited by this, but when I saw the look on Hermione's face, not to mention Percy's, I had a feeling I should go to bed before Hermione took it out on me. Ginny saw what I was doing, and one glance toward Percy told her she should probably be doing the same. We headed up to the dormitory together. Ginny chose a bed and gestured for me to take the one next to her. I did, and the next thing I knew, she was talking up a storm.

"So I have six brothers – can you believe it? You've already met Ron, but Fred and George – they're twins – and Percy still go to Hogwarts as well. And Bill and Charlie have left already. Bill works at Gringotts and Charlie's in Romania working with dragons. How many siblings do you have?" she rambled breathlessly. She seemed to have turned into a completely different person now that we were alone.

_Zero,_ I thought. But that was only in my head. Distantly, I heard myself saying "One."

"Just Hermione?" she asked. When I nodded my head, she continued to run her mouth. "You're lucky – you don't have to share as much. I have to divide _everything_ into sevenths. It really isn't fair." Ginny stifled a yawn. "Well anyway, good night, Emma."

I yawned as well. "Night Ginny." I pulled back the curtain around my bed and pulled my Walkman out of my trunk, which had somehow been bought up to the dormitory for me. To my dismay, it wasn't working properly. Great. It had worked on the train. Why wasn't it working now? It must be something about the magic in the air around here.

Sighing, I packed away my device and pulled on my pajamas. A loud roar from downstairs told me that I the party was still going on. As I pulled up the covers, I began to wonder what we would be doing tomorrow. A quick glance at my schedule told me that I had Herbology first thing in the morning. This was followed by Transfiguration, Potions, and Charms. I was in for a busy day tomorrow.

* * *

I was the last one to wake up. Everyone else except Ginny was gone, and she was only there because she was waking _me _up. More correctly, she was jumping on my face.

"I'm awake already," I muttered.

"Are you sure about that?" teased Ginny. "I've only been trying to wake you up for the past half hour."

At that, I sat straight up in bed, knocking Ginny to the floor in the process. "I've missed Herbology?" I yelped. It wasn't that I _wanted_ to go to Herbology, it was just that the last thing I needed was to miss my first ever class at Hogwarts. First impressions were important, and I was sure that the professor wouldn't think to fondly of me if I missed my first class.

Ginny sat up, rubbing a sore spot on her head. "No, but you missed half of breakfast. And you'll miss the other half _and_ Herbology if you don't hurry up," she said, somewhat sourly.

At the mention of breakfast, I jumped out of bed and proceeded to tear my trunk apart to find my robes. As I quickly dressed, Ginny watched me, amused. I caught her looking. "What? It's food! Honestly, what do you expect? Food is about the only thing better than sleep!"

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You remind me of Ron."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Errr… Yes," muttered Ginny.

Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. We both looked at each other for a moment before cracking up laughing. "C'mon, we'll be late!" I said as I pulled Ginny through the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she said, stumbling through after me.

* * *

Breakfast was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. Besides the feast from last night, obviously. I almost didn't know what to eat! There were just too many choices! Finally I settled on something simple. I had a feeling that I would have plenty of other chances to eat all this amazing looking food, and I wanted to leave some surprises. Before I could finish, my eye was caught by an owl with a bright red, smoking envelope in its beak. I watched as it flew awkwardly towards the other end of the Gryffindor table, dropping itself and its burden in front of Ron. The owl crashed onto the table and lay there, unmoving. Ron looked absolutely terrified of the envelope. He gingerly picked it up and began to tear it open. Before he could finish, however, a voice boomed out of it. He dropped it quickly and shoved his fingers in his ears. After recovering from my shock, I did the same.

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY, HOW COULD YOU? STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT GONE? WHEN WE GOT THE LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY BOTH COULD HAVE DIED, JUST THINK! YOUR FATHER AND I ARE ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED. YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME!"

There was a ringing silence. Ron looked like he wanted to disappear, and Harry wasn't looking much better. As I hastily finished my meal and headed to Herbology with Ginny, we started talking about what the class would be like, more to change the subject than anything.

"I doubt we'll get anything _too_ difficult," Ginny was saying. "I mean, it's only our first day."

"I bet you anything that the teacher will spend the entire period talking about what we'll be learning this year, instead of actually learning it. I mean, what's the use in knowing what we're going to learn? I'd much rather just start right away and get it over with," I countered.

Ginny didn't know what to say to that. "Yeah, probably," she said, giving in at last.

We entered the greenhouse in silence, having nothing more to say. We took our seats next to each other and looked around the room. I was disappointed to see that none of the various plants scattered throughout the room appeared interesting in the least. I could tell already that Herbology was not going to be my favorite subject at school. Taking a peek at my schedule, I learned that our teacher's name was Professor Sprout. I chuckled silently to myself. A _Herbology_ teacher named _Sprout_! _Too_ funny.

Just then, the professor in question strode in, ready to teach. The class, which had been full of busy muttering before, fell silent when she entered the room.

"Good morning, class, "she said clearly. "My name is Professor Sprout. I will be your Herbology teacher. It is here that you will learn about the flora of the magical world. Some are helpful, some can be quite deadly. It is my job to teach you which to trust and which to avoid. You will learn how to deal with some of the most dangerous plants in existence." Catching the eyes of some worried students, she laughed. "Don't worry," she assured them. "You won't be required to go anywhere _near_ that sort of plant until _much _later in your magical education. But enough talk of the future. It is now time to enlighten you about what you can expect to learn this year."

I glanced pointedly at Ginny. She caught me looking and rolled her eyes to the heavens. I smiled in return. As Professor Sprout lectured us on the types of plants we would be dealing with this year, and the sort of thing we would be expected to do in the classroom, my thoughts began to drift to video games, as they always did when I was bored. I thought of my Walkman upstairs, which had broken last night. You see, I had gotten up at about 5 A.M., panicking because I hadn't been on the internet in like, 24 hours. I had forgotten _completely_ about the fact that it wasn't working at the moment. I had also forgotten about the fact that Hogwarts didn't really have electricity. Anyway, I was so upset that it didn't work that I stupidly banged it against my bedframe. Hard. It also didn't help that I was half asleep at the time. In my zombie like state, I had completely forgotten that Walkmans were breakable. Did I mention I'm not a morning person? Anyway, I was pretty sure that Walkmans couldn't be glued back together once they'd broken in half. Oh well.

I was removed from my thoughts by the sound of someone calling my name.

"Last call for Emily Granger!" Professor Sprout was saying.

I mentally kicked myself. So much for leaving a good first impression, I thought glumly. "Here I am," I said, raising my hand. Professor Sprout turned, and her face broke into a wide grin when she saw me.

"You must be Hermione's sister!" she exclaimed.

_Something like that._ I thought. But I told her that yes, I was. She seemed very pleased with this news, and was smiling for the rest of class. I sincerely hoped that Professor Sprout didn't think I was anything like my sister. Because I wasn't. Not one little bit.

* * *

Transfiguration was just the same as Herbology. Aside from the fact that the class didn't take place in a greenhouse, Professor McGonagall's class was much like Professor Sprout's. Oh, and Sprout didn't turn herself into a cat at the beginning of class. That was new. Her lecture, however, contained much the same thing as the one we had gotten in Herbology, and I found myself starting to drift off again. But then Professor McGonagall changed topics abruptly, making me sit up with a start.

"Now, you may have noticed your first period teacher called role," she said. "Those of you with older siblings at Hogwarts may know that this is not the way things are usually done around here. Professor Dumbledore thought we should try it with the first years – in other words, you. This is something new, and we may not continue it next year."

I groaned inwardly. I hated change. I began to tune Professor McGonagall's voice out, realizing that this could turn out to be another lecture. But I could tell that Professor McGonagall was the sort of teacher who could keep a class's attention most of the time. I knew that I would be snapped back into consciousness again soon enough, no matter _how_ fiercely I stared out of that window. Sure enough, I came to just as Professor McGonagall called my name.

"Emily Granger," she called. I saw a flash of recognition fly into her eyes before I raised my hand.

"Of course, Hermione's sister," she said knowingly, before moving on to the next name. I sighed. I had the worst feeling that my first year at Hogwarts would be spent as "Hermione's sister". I would just have to deal with it.

* * *

Potions was not what I had expected at all. Professor Snape called role just like all the other teachers had, but unlike the other professors, he didn't even blink when he said my name. I could tell I was going to hate Potions, though, despite his lack of care as to who my sister was. His tone of voice gave me the creeps, and he always seemed to favor the Slytherins. I already knew what the Slytherins were like, so it wasn't _that_ difficult to make the jump to Professor Snape being a sourpuss as well, considering he was head of Slytherin house. Especially now that I had seen him.

The rest of the day was rather dull, compared to the morning's excitement. I barely had time to reflect that if every day at Hogwarts was this eventful, then I was in for one interesting year before I passed out on my pillow.

* * *

**I'd like to thank reviewers percyjacksonlovr, jason. matthews. 940436, juliansimmons1205, Fading Ashes, and NazChick for their support. PLEASE follow in their footsteps and review!**

**And just a fun fact: The introduction is exactly 1,000 words long. It's true! You can check! (Including the AN) **

**Now please click this big white box down here \/**


	6. Gilderoy Lockhart

**AN: I completely forgot to mention that I changed the time! (Thank you, jason. matthews. 940436, for reminding me!) IPods didn't exist in 1992, at least not the kind Emily has. So I'm saying now, I changed the year! **

**Disclaimer: horsegurl16 does not own**

* * *

As the days went by, I started to get used to Hogwarts. On this particular day, our first class was Defense against the Dark Arts. I was actually mildly interested in going to this class, because all but one book on the booklist (The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1) was obviously meant for Defense. And they had all been written be some bloke called Gilderoy Lockhart, who was apparently supposed to be our teacher. As far as I could tell, he was some kind of famous wizard who went around fighting the dark forces or something like that. I wondered briefly what on Earth he was doing teaching school. I mean, you would think that such a talented wizard be out there doing something _productive_ with his life. I mentioned this to Ginny, but she didn't seem concerned.

"My mother absolutely _adores_ Lockhart," she giggled. "I think she fancies him, but we can't get her to admit it. Fred and George keep trying to catch her off guard, but she's pretty on top of it. It's cool and all what he's done, but honestly, he sounds _awfully_ stuck up, don't you think?"

I shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?" I hadn't even opened my books yet.

Just then, Lockhart swept in with a flourish, catching us all by surprise. He beamed around at us all. His smile was _way _too big and lasted _way_ too long to be real. And those teeth were way too white. I thought about my parents. Being dentists, I knew they would agree that his smile was just plain unnatural. Still grinning, he started the class.

"For those of you who don't know me (although I expect that number is rather small), my name is Gilderoy Lockhart. However, since this is a school, you will be calling me Professor Lockhart."

I frowned. My impression so far of "Professor" Lockhart wasn't a good one.

"I thought I would start the year off with a quiz, just to see how much you know," he said "All of the information needed is in my books, so you should all know it!"

I sat up straight, eyes wide. Had he just said we were having a quiz on the books? Oh boy, was I screwed. As he passed out the tests, I tried to look unconcerned and calm. By the looks Ginny was giving me, I could tell I was doing a rather poor job of it. But Lockhart seemed unfazed by the rather alarmed looks that many of the class were giving him.

"You may begin!" he said happily.

I looked down at my paper, and fought not to roll my eyes. Snickering, I read to myself:

_1\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?_

_2\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_

_3\. What, it your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?_

_4\. What time of day does Gilderoy Lockhart find most appealing?_

This nonsense went on for a full page, front and back, and the front of another page continued all the way down to the last question (_54\. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?_). Not having read the books, I had no clue what his favorite color might be, nor what his secret ambition was. Question 3 seemed relatively easy, however. It was quite an achievement to be such a stuck up, self-centered prat and not be completely ashamed by it. But I had a feeling that wasn't quite the answer he was looking for.

A half hour later, Lockhart picked up the test papers. We all sat there quietly while he looked though them. He tutted occasionally, and every time he did this he would look up at the class and make an announcement.

"Oh dear, I state quite clearly in _Wanderings with Werewolves_ that I am quite fond of dawn, although dusk is quite lovely. I simply don't see why you would think I like midnight…"

"No… that's not right at all… _lilac_, people, _lilac_. In chapter four of _Year with the Yeti_, I say that my favorite color is a nice shade of lilac. I can't figure why you insist I like green…"

"My lord, nobody remembered my favorite season is spring! I mention it quite often in _Voyages with Vampires_…"

He continued on like that for a while before finally setting them down and standing up with a flourish. He seemed to do _everything_ with a flourish. Not to mention that smile – I was sure he hadn't stopped since class began.

"No perfect scores! Disappointing, but I suppose it's not unexpected. I've only had one perfect score all week, and that was Miss Hermione Granger!" He then beamed around the room like this was the best news anyone could possibly hope to receive; a few people smiled back halfheartedly. His eyes, falling on me, grew wide.

"Miss Granger?" he said. "But this is a first year class!"

I muttered something about sisters, and his smile grew even wider. I was afraid his face would snap in two. Professor Lockhart hurried back to his desk and rifled through the tests. He pulled out a paper which I recognized as my own. Upon seeing it, his smile faltered for the first time since class had started. I could tell he was slightly disappointed by my lack of similarity to my sister. I decided I could deal with that, since I didn't like Lockhart anyway.

When he called role, I again saw that fleeting disappointment cross his face. But honestly, whatever hopes I'd had for this class had vanished a long time ago, along with my respect for Lockhart. It was with a slightly diminished air that I left the classroom, and from what I could tell, I wasn't the only one. Many people strode past me with expressions of slight disappointment on their faces, not unlike the one Professor Lockhart had worn when he looked at my test scores. But since they were not directed at me, I saw no reason to be concerned by it. Without a word, Ginny and I headed to our next class

* * *

Later that day, Ginny and I climbed through the portrait hole together, only to find Hermione sitting there with Ron and Harry. Hermione looked startled; Ron was simply resigned. Harry, on the other hand, grinned at us and waved. Ginny turned scarlet at once, and headed towards the girls' dormitory. I however, found a chair as far away from Hermione as possible to do my homework. Homework was the only aspect of me that my sister ever paid attention to. At home, she would hover over my shoulder, tutting at my incomplete answers and miscalculated problems. If there was an upshot to all of this, it was that I always knew when I got a wrong answer. However, it was quite distracting, so I kept my distance. Hermione soon finished, and ignoring Harry and Ron's pleas for her to check their work, walked resolutely past me to the girls' dormitory. When Harry followed in her footsteps, Ron didn't even complain as he walked past to the boys' dormitory. He was too immersed in his homework.

When he finally finished, he set down his quill and lay back in his chair. He noticed I was still there.

"So you're friends with Ginny, huh?"

I was momentarily startled by his outburst, but I quickly recovered.

"Yes…" I said, unsure of where this was going. But he merely grunted in return, before getting up and entering his dormitory. Seeing no reason to remain in the common room, I headed in the opposite direction, up the stairs and through the door marked "First Years". As I lay in bed, I ran over my strange encounter with Ron. I guess it made sense, because Ron was Ginny's brother and all. It was only natural he would want to know who her friends were. I fell asleep still mulling it over.

* * *

**AN: It's a bit soon in the story for this, but when I reach Prisoner of Azkaban, should I start a new story, or continue under the name Shadowed? And speaking of the name Shadowed, would you all kill me if I changed it? Let me know in your reviews!**


	7. Flying Lessons

**AN: I'm REALLY sorry that I haven't posted in 8 months. School is just WAY too hectic. I'll try to be better about this from now on. And I know, I know! You all want the action to start! Have **_**patience**_**! It will happen eventually. Unless, of course, I keep going on forever with this AN… *Evil laughter* …**

**Okay, okay, I was joking! I'll continue with the story…**

**Disclaimer: horsegurl16 does not own**

* * *

The next day, we had flying lessons. I had been waiting for this day since I had arrived at Hogwarts. I was the first one up in the morning, surprising even myself. I subsequently launched myself onto Ginny's bed and began pummeling her with my fists.

"Wake _up_!" I said.

Ginny mumbled incoherently "I _am_ up!" she said sleepily. She sat up, yawning and stretching.

"About time," I muttered, falling back onto her bed.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You're one to talk," she said, rolling out of bed onto the floor.

I couldn't think of a comeback to that, so I just grunted instead. "I have no idea what you're talking about," I insisted as I got dressed.

Ginny sighed, but said nothing.

In my anticipation of flying lessons, I barely noticed the day going by. One moment I was eating breakfast, and the next Professor Snape was yelling at me for staring off into space.

"Sorry Professor…" I muttered, going back to my cauldron.

It was then I realized that my potion was beginning to glow and vibrate, causing my cauldron to shake violently. I looked around nervously, being reasonably sure that this was not supposed to happen. The fact that the contents of the other students' cauldrons were a bright turquoise color, or at least some shade of blue, while my own potion was the color of lava, confirmed my suspicions that it would have been a much better idea to pay attention. In the second that it took me to realize that fact, my potion exploded. In another second, I noticed that my "Cure for Boils" was causing more blemishes than it healed. Everyone within a 2 meter radius of me now had large purple growths erupting from their bodies. Scarlet potion dripped from everybody, hissing as it touched the cold stone floor of the dungeon. I winced as I noticed Professor Snape pointing his wand stiffly at his arm, causing the boil growing there to deflate. The room, which had erupted into chaos when my potion erupted, fell into silence as Professor Snape walked slowly towards my desk. Ginny, who was stationed next to me, flinched instinctively as he passed her desk. Potions simmered, forgotten, in their cauldrons. Every student in the room seemed to have forgotten why they were there. They all stared at me apprehensively, waiting to see what Professor Snape was going to do.

I looked up nervously as he approached me, wondering what he could possibly do to me in my second Potions class ever. His eyes bored into mine, giving me the feeling that he was looking straight through them into my mind. He looked at my cauldron, examining the droplets of potion that remained there. He straightened up and addressed the class.

"_This_," he said, jerking his head towards my potion splattered cauldron, "is what happens when you allow your potion to simmer for too long." He turned towards me. "That, Miss Granger, is why it is most unadvisable to stare off into space during my class. I must say, I expected more of you. At least your sister has the ability to follow instructions, albeit a limited one. Ten points from Gryffindor."

I gaped at him, uncomprehending. I opened my mouth to complain, but I received a sharp poke in the ribs from Ginny. I glanced at her, and she gave me a pointed glance. She mouthed 'shut it' and returned to her cauldron. I paused for a moment, then snapped my mouth shut and resorted to glaring ferociously at him for the remainder of the period. To my disappointment, however, Professor Snape looked unfazed by this, and he walked away, smirking.

As I packed my bags to go, I tried to glare at him all the way out the door. I banged into the door frame and toppled into Ginny, who stumbled. A few passing 5th year Slytherin girls howled with laughter, and I turned my glare to them instead. All that did, however, was make them laugh harder. I sighed. I watched the Slytherins, who were now bent double with fits of giggles, walk around the corner and out of sight.

I really need to work on my glares.

Ginny and I walked down to the Quidditch pitch together **(AN: Is that where flying lessons were held?)**. I couldn't contain my excitement. I was skipping every few steps, and I couldn't keep a grin from spreading across my face. Ginny, for her part, seemed unfazed. She informed me that she had been flying since she was six. When I asked her how, she told me that she knew how to get into her brothers' broom shed. I started to quiz her on flying, and I got so into it that I didn't even notice when we arrived at the pitch. Broomsticks were laid out in rows, so we picked two next to each other and waited. Many people were chatting about their previous broomstick rides, and I began to feel uneasy. Was I the _only_ one in my class who had never flown before? I knew for a fact that Hermione was terrible at it. What if I was too? As this crossed my mind, a lady with short, gray hair walked onto the pitch, blowing on a whistle that hung around her neck. Everyone fell silent at once, looking eagerly at her.

The woman stopped in front of us, her whistle dropping to her chest.

"Hello, everyone, I'm Professor Hooch," she said in a brisk, no nonsense voice. She continued on to explain about broomsticks and how to fly one. Determined not to follow in Hermione's footsteps, I hung on to every word.

"Now, I want everyone to pay close attention. Everybody stand to one side of their broomstick **(AN: Does Rowling specify which side? I don't remember.)** and put your hand over it." Everyone did as she asked. "Good. Now, look at the broomstick, and say 'Up!'."

There was a smattered chorus of 'up's. Some people's brooms sprang up into their hands immediately. A few simply rolled over. Most of the class, however, found their brooms about as willing to obey as pieces of driftwood. To my dismay, I was in this group. Ginny, whose broom had leapt up the moment she had asked it to, noticed my trouble.

"Don't be so nervous!" she hissed. "The broom won't listen to you unless you calm down!"

"I. Am. Calm," I hissed back. My knuckles were white with tension as I stared so fiercely at my broom, I was surprised it didn't burst into flames. Ginny laughed, and it was only then that I actually comprehended what she was saying. "Oh – right. Not so calm." Ginny nodded sarcastically. I sighed. Calm? How could I be calm? I was trying too hard to not be like Hermione to be _calm_. Then I realized that by trying not to be like Hermione, I was being like Hermione. My sister was constantly overthinking things. I was doing the exact same thing. Once my brain came out of hyperdrive, I found it a _lot_ easier to concentrate. I took a deep breath, looked at my broom, and, in the calmest voice I could muster, said, "Up." To my delight, the broom immediately jumped into hand. Maybe I'm not so much like my sister after all.

It took a while, but eventually all of my classmates had their brooms in hand. Everyone was chattering excitedly, so Madam Hooch had to blow her whistle several times to calm us down.

"Alright, kids," she said. "Now, we can begin flying. On the count of three, I would like everyone to rise a few feet into the air, hover, then come down. And that's _all_. Anyone who does anything other than that will find themselves in detention for a _very_ long time. Now if everyone could mount their brooms…"

Despite Ginny's assurances that everything would be fine if I just stayed calm, my heart was going a mile a minute. Dimly, I heard Madam Hooch's "1… 2… 3!" I kicked off from the ground, and to my surprise, found that I didn't go plummeting down to earth. Mentally, I kicked myself. Of course I wasn't falling. I was on a broomstick.

Now that I was in the air, my breathing started to ease. This wasn't scary; this was actually kind of fun! Now that I wasn't hanging on for dear life, I had a chance to look around. It was pretty easy to tell who had flown before and who hadn't. Those who had, like Ginny, were handling their broomsticks with ease bordering on boredom. The people to whom this was something new were sneaking glances around them to see what everyone else was doing. Turning my attention back to my broom, I started to get impatient. I was about to see what else I could do with my broom when I realized everyone else was already back on the ground. An instant too late, I remembered Madam Hooch's instructions. _Rise a few feet into the air, hover, then come down._ Oh, yeah. Face burning, I lowered myself back down.

"Thank you, Miss Granger," said the instructor. "Now, we're going to try this again, only this time we're going to do it one at a once you're in the air, if I think you're steady enough, I'll let you try moving around. We'll go in alphabetical order."

Next to me, I heard Ginny groan and mutter curses about the alphabet. I looked at her sympathetically. "I'll be you hate your last name" I told her.

Ginny laughed derisively. "The name's not the problem. It's the letter that it starts with that I hate. I can't tell you how many times I've wished my name was Beasly or Ceasly or something.

"Well," I said, trying to comfort her, "It could be worse. Your name could be Ginny Zeasly or something."

Ginny smiled weakly. "I just hope we don't run out of time." I didn't have anything to reply to that, so I turned and watched Madam Hooch. She was busy helping a boy I recognized as Collin Creevey, a fellow Gryffindor. She was doing her best, but Collin was rather hopeless. Every time he rose into the air, he fell back down again. Stifling a laugh, I turned back to Ginny, who was still muttering to herself. "Hermione used to think _she_ had it bad because there are six letters in front of G," I told her.

Ginny laughed. "She doesn't know that half of it!"

I couldn't agree more.

Suddenly, I became aware that Madam Hooch was calling my name. "Oops," I muttered, making my way over to her. Nervously, I mounted my broom again. I looked at her for instructions.

"Whenever you're ready," she said.

Determined not to ruin this, I kicked off. I wobbled at first, but as got used to being supported by nothing but a piece of wood, I steadied. Soon I was hovering just above Madam Hooch's head.

The teacher eyed me critically. "Good, I suppose. Now, lean forward just a bit. When I tell you to straighten up again, straighten. Then go straight down to the ground. Understand?" I nodded.

Excited, I began to lean. Sure enough, the broom began to creep forward. I kept leaning. The broom kept going, picking up speed as it went. It kept speeding up until it was going faster than I could run. Suddenly, I had an idea. Carefully, I shifted my weight ever so slightly to the left. Somewhat reluctantly, my broom began to turn. As I finished turning the full 180 degrees. I became aware of a voice shouting at me in the distance. I looked up and was shocked to see how far I had traveled. However, I was close enough to see that Madam Hooch, who was the one yelling, did _not_ look happy with me. Slowly, I flew back to where she was standing, dreading what was going to happen. As I slid off my broom, I realized that Madam Hooch actually looked slightly impressed. She still looked angry, but she seemed torn between the urge to strangle me and the urge to congratulate me. Finally, she seemed to settle somewhere in the middle.

"Just… don't do that again unless I tell you to. Got that?"

I nodded speechlessly and trudged back to where Ginny was standing. She was staring open mouthed at me, as were, I noticed, most of the class. I felt kind of uncomfortable, so I just sat there and stared straight ahead until it was Ginny's turn. I figured it would be rude to not watch my best friend take her turn, so I turned and watched. Ginny did really well. Madam Hooch let her do all kinds of things up there. When she got back I smiled at her, and she smiled back. By the time class was over, I had completely forgotten about how awkward my moment with Madam Hooch had been. I was just focusing on my brief but exhilarating trip on a broomstick. I couldn't wait until my next flying lesson.

* * *

**AN: This chapter was a lot of fun to write. Because of Neville's accident, Rowling doesn't say what is supposed to happen in flying lessons after Madam Hooch tells them to rise a few feet into the air. So, I got to take a lot more creative license with this.**

**Again, apologies for the wait. I kept meaning to update, then I would get lazy and not do it. And it doesn't help that once school started, I got my school laptop, and I rarely got a chance to work on my home computer, where I had already started this chapter. And I didn't really feel like transferring it. So from now on, I'll probably work on Google Docs. Anyway, to make up for it, I made this chapter extra-long.**

**By the way, should I remove the mention of Wi-Fi in earlier chapters since it kinda clashes with the decade HP is set in?**

**Thanks to all my readers for being so patient! And if you're angry at me, I completely understand. Feel free to rage at me in your review. I won't judge. :)**


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